Our Friends are Getting Old

Tonight we attended the 60th birthday bash of our friend Jim Peterson. We have know Jim and Linda for something like 25 years. Keith called on Linda at one of the big pediatric offices in town. They helped us find our house in Colbert, where they became our neighbors just two houses away. Their kids babysat our kids. Then they had a surprise #3 son , Nick, who is just a year older than our youngest, Alex. The boys were friends growing up. Jim and Linda were like Alex's other parents. He even went on a vacation to Mexico with them. (And they have a few stories to tell!)

When you know Jim and Linda you are automatically adopted into their HUGE extended family. We know their parents, their siblings, their aunts, uncles, cousins. They are all so much fun to spend time with. We have watched our kids grow up, graduate, get married, have babies (well, their kids, not ours yet on the baby thing). Even though they live so close, we don't see each other all that often. But when we do, it's like we've never been apart.

It was a grand evening where so many, including their kids, gave tribute to Jim. Alex had such a great time catching up with Grandma Pat, the Peterson clan, including his "adopted" brother and sister, Corey and Rebecca, all the cousins, nieces and nephews. I am grateful to their influence in his life. Just goes to show, one never has too much family.

60 - sheesh!!! That sounds old. Must be our friends are much older than we are. Happy birthday, Jim.